It took only minutes for an SUV to be stolen that was left running to warm up on West South Street. Galesburg Police responded to the 700 block of West South Street Friday morning after a 24-year-old woman reported her mother’s 2008 Mercury Mariner was stolen from in front of the residence.
Later on Friday, officers located the stolen vehicle in a parking lot in the 1500 block of McKnight Street. A 28-year-old man, whom officers are familiar with, was seen walking through the parking lot at the time. After reviewing the security video from the Knox County Housing Authority, the man can be seen driving the SUV into the parking lot and exiting the vehicle. Police then made contact with the male suspect who was in possession of the keys. The man admitted to police that he took the vehicle without permission but had “plans to return the vehicle,” according to police reports. The man also didn’t have a pass to be on Knox County Housing Authority property. The SUV was returned to the victims. The man was charged with Motor Vehicle Theft, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, and Trespassing.
